1833, American English, origin uncertain; perhaps related to corruption, which was used in a sense of "anger" from 1799, or from English dialectal canapshus "ill-tempered, captious," probably a corruption of captious.

1714, from French connoisseur (Modern French connaiseur), from Old French conoisseor "an expert, a judge, one well-versed," from conoistre "to know," from Latin cognoscere "to get to know, recognize, become well-acquainted with," from com- "with" (see com-) + gnoscere "recognize" (see notice (v.)).

masc. proper name, little used in U.S. before 1980; in the top 100 names given to boys from 1992; apparently an alteration and appropriation of the surname Conner (13c.), representing Old English cunnere "examiner, inspector" (as in ale-conner; see con (n.2)).

c. 1300, from Anglo-French conquerour, Old French conquereor, from Old French conquerre (see conquer). Another early form was conquestor. William the Conqueror so called from early 12c. in Anglo-Latin: Guillelmus Magus id est conquæstor rex Anglorum.

early 14c., a merged word from Old French conquest "acquisition" (Modern French conquêt), and Old French conqueste "conquest, acquisition" (Modern French conquête), both from past participle of conquerre, from Vulgar Latin *conquaerere (see conquer).

Probably a loan-translation of Greek syneidesis, literally "with-knowledge." Sometimes nativized in Old English/Middle English as inwit. Russian also uses a loan-translation, so-vest, "conscience," literally "with-knowledge."

1896, in reference to those with religious scruples about mandatory vaccination. Military sense predominated from World War I.

After a chequered career full of startling episodes and reversals, the Vaccination Bill becomes virtually the Vaccination Act. In Parliament the hottest of the contest centred round the conscientious objector. [The Lancet, Aug. 13, 1898]

1813, American English, from conscript (n.). A word from the militia drafts in the War of 1812. Popularized (or unpopularized) during U.S. Civil War, when both sides resorted to it in 1862. Related: Conscripted; conscripting.

Meaning "enlistment of soldiers" is from 1520s; the sense "compulsory enlistment for military service" (1800) is traceable to the French Republic act of Sept. 5, 1798. Technically, a conscription is the enrollment of a fixed number by lot, with options of providing a substitute.

late 14c., in various senses now restricted to consequence, from Middle French conséquent "following, resulting," from Latin consequentem (nominative consequens); see consequence. Meaning "an event which follows another" is from 1610s. Mathematical sense is from 1560s. Related: Consequently.

late 14c., conservacioun, "preservation of one's health and soundness," from Latin conservationem (nominative conservatio) "a keeping, preserving, conserving," noun of action from past participle stem of conservare (see conserve). Meaning "preservation of existing conditions" in any sense is from mid-15c. Since late 15c., in reference to English municipal authorities who had charge of rivers, sewers, forests, fisheries, etc. Specifically of the environment from 1922.